A device connected to a network of switches can communicate with various other network-attached devices, receiving data traffic from and transmitting data traffic to one or more of these other devices. For example, a server may receive a high volume of data traffic from multiple backup applications executing on assorted client computers connected to the network. In some circumstances, an ingress port of the server may become overutilized by such traffic (e.g., violating a threshold set in a Service Level Agreement (SLA)). In such circumstances, the network or server owner may face increased service costs or decreased performance of high priority traffic flows if the traffic through the ingress port exceeds such a threshold.
It is a challenge, however, for a receiving device to manage the data traffic volume sent to it because it does not directly control the transmission source or sources. As such, the receiving device typically receives the volume of data traffic that these sources transmit to it, at least the point of failure, without substantial options for reducing this traffic volume at the sources.